The present invention relates generally to a vapor dispersing device and process utilizing a volatile fluid for treating air and the like and, more particularly, to a gravity fed liquid system in which the rate of dispersion is substantially even over an extended period of time.
Deodorizers, fumigators, purifiers, and other vaporizer-type air treatment devices using a volatile fluid are well known in the art to produce vapors in particular ways to remove odors, discourage pests, etc. Some of these devices rely on solid or solid-like treatment agents which sublime or evaporate upon exposure to air. Other treatment devices utilize vaporization of liquid either directly through sprays, drip dispensers or the like, or indirectly through wicks or saturated pads, to provide air treating vapors.
There are two known types of gravity fed liquid evaporators. Typically, in one type, the gravity fed system is comprised of an inverted bottle supported within a cup or pan holding a pool of liquid at the bottom thereof. The mouth of the bottle is positioned a short distance above the bottom of the cup or pan such that volatile liquid from the bottle flows into the cup until the level reaches the mouth of the bottle, where the flow is stopped by atmospheric pressure. As soon as the liquid level falls below the mouth of the bottle, due to evaporation taking place from the surface of this pool, flow from the bottle starts again and, as a result, the liquid level is maintained at the level of the mouth of the bottle. However, if one of these devices is knocked over, or its parts are displaced, the contents of the pool are spilled and the liquid is lost from the bottle. Not only may mess and waste occur, but the increased concentration of vapors may be troublesome and the liquid itself may be one that should be confined. The following list of U. S. Patents discloses a representative sample of such prior art inverted liquid systems:
______________________________________ 436,130 to Gubelman 1,099,720 to Peck 2,481,296 to Dupuy 2,586,179 to Rooch ______________________________________
In gravity fed systems of the other type, various provisions have been made for preventing the evaporation of the liquid until it is desired to actuate the dispenser. These provisions have included using a screw threaded neck for the bottle and a removable cap, or a closure having screw threads, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,755,901, 1,818,648, 1,974,414, 2,166,969 and 2,586,179. However, dispensers having screw threaded bottle necks have added undesirably to the complexity and manufacturing cost thereof and also have limited usefulness.
In inverted bottle evaporators of a similar type, the user must make a fine puncture of the closure end of the bottle to provide a seepage opening, the outcome of which may be an improper rate of evaporation if the opening is made too small or too large, or if the parts are not in proper relation to each other. Unfortunately, none of the devices embodied in the prior art possesses a design which contributes to a performance which is likely to make them much more effective than a device which functions on a principle as basic as an unattended open bottle. Thus, there remains a need and a demand in the art for further improvements in gravity fed liquid system air treatment devices.
There have been numerous methods devised which attempt to regulate the diffusion rate of volatile materials, especially with regard to the fragrancing and deodorization of an enclosed room. The primary function of these types of devices for commercial use has been in the area of deodorization and counteractancy of malodors. However, as the focus begins to change from dispensing of fragrance compounds, which are meant to mask malodors, to the controlled release of fine fragrances, solely for the aesthetic appeal that these materials generate, it is clear that the prior art devices are not well suited to this function.
Although it is reasonable to imagine that it is within the scope of the present art to devise an apparatus which is capable of exerting some measure of control over the diffusion rate of a volatile material, the current devices, whether they are of the continuous element type of wicking mechanism (U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,351 to Wilson) or a device which uses a wick integral with an absorbent element (U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,779 to Santini) in fact offer little governance over the rate at which diffusion takes place. The most volatile and fugitive components of the fragrance, which are often those most easily perceived olfactively, are prematurely lost and, as a result, are not available for dispensing throughout the life of the device. However, according to the present invention, there is disclosed a device which represents an advance over what is currently known in this area, while providing a dispenser characterized by the simplicity of the structure thereof.